Office of Emergency Management

What is an EMD and what are they responsible for?

The Emergency Management Director (EMD) is an appointed individual in each town or city who has direct responsibility for the organization, administration, and coordination of the local organization for emergency management, subject to the direction and control of the executive officer or legislative branch. Generally, the Emergency Management Director manages the local emergency management organization, including the identification of the resources and organization that would be used to support incident command; manages the creation and maintenance of the Local Emergency Operations Plan; manages the maintenance of the Local Emergency Operations Center; facilitates Emergency Management meetings with municipal stakeholders to discuss current emergency management plans, organization, equipment, training, and exercises; coordinates citizen preparedness initiatives; coordinates volunteer recruitment; participates in the creation of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan; participates in the Emergency Manager Certification program offered by Vermont Emergency Management; and, if determined necessary, appoints an Emergency Management Coordinator to assist in executing any of these responsibilities.

What should an EMD do before an incident occurs?

Before an incident occurs, EMDs should coordinate the development of their Local Emergency Operations Plan, participate in Emergency Management trainings and exercises, and work with their communities to mobilize volunteers that could assist the municipality during a disaster.

What should an EMD do during an incident?

During an incident, the EMD will generally be coordinating information flow between the municipality and the state, coordinating resource acquisition on behalf of the Incident Commander, and maintaining a common operating picture for the incident occurring within the town.

What should an EMD do after an incident?

After an incident, the EMD will generally be coordinating information flow between the municipality and the state, documenting incident damages, assisting the municipality in returning back to normal, and, if the incident is large enough, coordinating with the state and FEMA on a disaster declaration.